nuclear-news

UK government rejects the call to guarantee funding for Moorside nuclear power project

Cumbria Crack 11th Sept 2018 , The Government has rejected a plea by Workington MP, Sue Hayman, to save
the Moorside nuclear power station project, as the developer, NuGen,
confirms the loss of 70 jobs. Sue, the co-chair of the All Party
Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy, wrote to the Secretary of State for
Business, Greg Clark MP, at the end of July, when NuGen announced it was
consulting on job losses, calling on him to guarantee Government support
for the project.

Mr Clark said in June that he “will consider direct Government investment” in the proposed Wylfa
nuclear power station in Wales, but he has refused to make any similar
commitment to Cumbria. In a response to Sue’s letter, energy minister
Richard Harrington MP said: “The Secretary of State and I understand the
potential importance of the Moorside project to the local area. However
(…) the proposed sale of NuGen is principally a commercial matter for
Toshiba and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on those ongoing
negotiations.”
https://www.cumbriacrack.com/2018/09/11/government-rejects-mps-plea-to-save-nuclear-new-build/

September 14, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

UK’s House of Lords show complete contempt for even thinking about, or discussing nuclear waste problem

Radiation Free Lakeland 9th Sept 2018 Last week a ‘debate’ on the implementation of the plan for dangerous
geological dumping of nuclear waste took place in the House of Lords.

So few Lords were there. Anyone would think this plan to impose one or more
high level waste dumps underneath our feet is an issue of so very little
importance and no interest to them. The cat is now out of the bag that the
ONLY reason a geological dump is being implemented (over decades) is to
“support a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK by
providing a safe and secure way to dispose of the waste they produce.

This is key to the future new nuclear build” There we have it. The key to new
nuclear build is to have “a plan” for the “final disposal” of high
level nuclear wastes. No matter that the plan in question is going to
poison us into eternity. The push for Geological Disposal is MAD BAD AND
DANGEROUS on many levels.

I happened to be on the train coming back from
London on the day before the Lords debate and saw Lord Melvyn Bragg
hightailing it from London to Cumbria. If this had been a debate on wind
turbines he would have been there with brass knobs on full of vim and
emotion “this will destroy the place as a natural habitat for human
beings, and replace it with what will be seen as an industrial landscape”
but hey as its only one or two high level nuclear wastes dumps (with the
places in the frame most likely to be Cumbria or under the beleaguered
Irish Sea), who cares a damn if we damn the future? If you can bear to read
it – here below is the debate.

https://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2018/09/09/lords-high-tail-it-away-from-geological-dump-debate-biggest-decision-in-our-time/

September 12, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Why the UK nuclear renaissance plan is doomed to failure.

NuClear News Sept 18

Jeremy Leggett, former Chair of SolarCentury, has used 30 pictures and charts to show why the UK nuclear renaissance plan is doomed to failure. It’s a great way to get a point across. But sometimes it’s useful to have it written down too.

• Nuclear power has become uneconomic and grown increasingly so with every announcement of cost increases and delays; and every announcement of reductions in the cost of renewables
• “Britain should cancel its nuclear white elephant and spend the billions on making renewables work.” Economist 6th Aug 2016http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21703367-britain-should-cancel-itsnuclear-white-elephant-and-spend-billions-making-renewables
• Nuclear power can’t compete with solar power says former IEA boss Nobuaki Tanaka. Nuclear is “ridiculously expensive” and “utterly uncompetitive” says the long standing nuclear advocate. It costs $9bn to build one reactor. Asahi Shimbun 24th July 2018http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201807240045.html
• Key players know the game is up. Industrial giants once supportive of nuclear need no further persuasion that they must change to reflect the new economic of energy.
• For the first time, global solar capacity grew faster in 2017 than all fossil fuels and nuclear combined. The record 98GW of new solar built in 2017 increased the world’s cumulative capacity by a third to 399GW. Carbon Brief 5th April 2018https://www.carbonbrief.org/global-solar-capacity-grew-faster-than-fossil-fuels-2017- report Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018, http://fs-unepcentre.org/publications/global-trends-renewable-energy-investment-report-2018
• One example of officialdom underestimating exponential technologies: UK’s Ofgem on solar PV. Ofgem’s scenarios were hopelessly wide of the mark. Exeter University, 6th May 2016 http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/igov/new-thinking-solar-surprise-revisited/
• “Utilities dispel all doubts about renewables being able to power planet”. Jerome Pecressse, GE Renewables: “We are inventing things that we did not even imagine three years ago …renewable baseload is coming fast.” Recharge News 6th June 2018http://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1505979/utilities-dispel-all-doubts-aboutrenewables-ability-to-power-planet

The UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment says at least half of all UK power should be renewable by 2030, and can be at no extra cost. It urges the Government to grab the golden opportunity to ditch nuclear and go with cheaper solar and wind. Solar Power Portal 10th July 2018 No2NuclearPower nuClear News No.110, September 2018 19 https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/grab_the_golden_opportunity_to_go_green_uk_urged_to_ditch_nuclear_in_favour

• Tepco, long a mainstay of the Japanese nuclear industry pivots towards renewables. “We must gain competitive advantage in renewable energy” says President Tomoaki Kobayakawa. Nikkei Asian Review 24th July 2018 https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Tepco-seeks-overseas-partners-inrenewable-energy-pivot

EDF is in deep financial trouble: The utility upon which the UK Government’s plans for a nuclear renaissance depend faces an existential threat with no obvious escape route.

• On 4th December 2007, EDF began construction of an EPR at Flamanville, It was due to cost €3.3bn and start in 2012. Start-up is now scheduled to occur no earlier than Q2 2020 and EDF now estimates project costs at €10.9 billion. The plant is intended to be the forerunner of two reactors to be built at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamanville_Nuclear_Power_Plant
• High levels of carbon were found in the steel used for the in the reactor pressure giving it “lower than expected mechanical toughness values” Telegraph 17th April 2015 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11546271/New-UKnuclear-plants-under-threat-as-serious-anomaly-with-model-found-in-France.html
• So what do you do if you’re the Chief Financial Officer of a Company with a balance sheet like this: €18.5bn market cap; €37bn net debt; €22bn for Hinkley C; €55bn to keep French reactors safe; FT 7th March 2016http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ef9d4de8-e3e9-11e5-ac45-5c039e797d1c.html
• You resign over the company’s failure to cancel Hinkley Point C. French unions also vote against the plant.
• On the 15th September 2016, the UK Prime Minister finally gave Hinkley Point C the green light after 6 weeks of indecision and veiled threats from Beijing. HPC is now a joint venture of EDF and China General Nuclear who are investing £6bn in the currently £18bn project. Guardian 15th September 2016 http://www.theguardian.com/uknews/2016/sep/15/hinkley-point-c-nuclear-power-station-gets-go-ahead
• On 10th April 2018 EDF warned of yet more delays at Flamanville – 150 quality deviations found in welding of pipes used to carry steam to turbines. Guardian 10th April 2018 http://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/10/edf-warns-of-faults-atnuclear-power-station-it-is-building-in-france
• The French nuclear regulator fears epidemic safety culture collapse at Flamanville – didaster looms for EDF. Weld failures mean the nuclear plant is delayed until 2020. Liberation 31st May 2018 http://www.liberation.fr/france/2018/05/31/l-epr-deflamanville-risque-de-voir-son-demarrage-reporte-a-2020_1655448

On 25th July 2018 there was yet more bad news for EDF. 33 welds need repairing. Nuclear fuel now to be loaded Q4 2019. EDF says costs up €0.4bn to €10.9bn FT 25th July 2018 https://www.ft.com/content/1b2473c8-8fdd-11e8-b639-7680cedcc421

• The Nuclear industry lives on a safety knife edge globally. And after Fukushima it cannot afford a single major accident.
• Tepco wants to risk a meltdown at Kashiwazaki to generate profits to pay for the meltdown at Fukushima. It is the biggest nuclear plant in the world with 7 reactors. It sits on two active earthquake fault. Guardian 28th December 2017 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/28/fears-of-another-fukushima-astepco-plans-to-restart-worlds-biggest-nuclear-plant
• On 5th September 2016 it was reported that the BBC had found that Sellafield is riddled with safety flaws. A whistleblower said that his biggest fear for the site was for one of the nuclear waste silos to go up in flames – the consequences of which would be dire. He said: “If there is a fire there it could generate a plume of radiological waste that will go across western Europe.” Guardian 5th Sept 216http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/05/sellafield-nuclear-plantriddled-safety-flaws-according-bbc-panorama
• Sizewell B and 27 other nuclear plants at risk of catastrophic failure due to carbon anomalies. A report from Greenpeace France based on documents provided to the independent French Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. Ecologist 29th September 2016 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2988175/sizewell_b_and_27_other_ edf_nuclear_plants_at_risk_of_catastrophic_failure.html · New cracks in the reactor core at Hunterston B raise questions about the reliability of the entire UK nuclear fleet. Another setback for EDF – £120m loss of revenue for the 6 months the reactor is closed for repairs. Guardian 6th May 2018 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/06/cracks-nuclear-reactorthreaten-uk-energy-policy-hunsterston
• Opinion in the business world is turning against the nuclear industry. And as its desperation becomes ever clearer, the UK Government is in danger of overreaching. Nuclear Power in the UK is now effectively nationalised at great expense to taxpayers

In august 2016 a major reversal in opinion on nuclear power amongst business leaders was reported. There was a big majority for new nuclear in 2015. In 2016 only 9% strongly agree. 75% of IOD members support strong solar and wind policies. Guardian 19th August 2016 http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/19/businesschiefs-attack-uk-government-failure-to-secure-energy-supply

• In 2017 it was reported that the Kuwaiti Sovereign Wealth Fund would sell its shares in Areva. French media reported that KIA had complained that its investment in Areva in 2010 had been based on incorrect company accounts. Reuters 4th Aug 2017 https://www.reuters.com/article/areva-restructuring-kia-idUSL5N1KQ3A5

In a remarkable U-turn the UK Government agrees to a £5bn public stake in welsh nuclear power station. The total cost of Wylfa to be shared with Hitachi and the Japanese Government is estimated at £16bn. The price of power is expected to be £75-77/MWh – more than solar and wind. Guardian 4th June 2018 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/04/uk-takes-5bn-stake-inwelsh-nuclear-power-station-in-policy-u-turn

• Meanwhile a UK Government poll finds that a record 85% of the public support renewable energy – 87% support solar; 66% would be happy to have a large renewable project locally; 74% are concerned about climate change; 35% support nuclear and 22% oppose it. Climate Action 26th April 2018 http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/85-of-the-uk-supports-renewableenergy-in-record-high-poll Energy and Climate Change Attitude Tracker, Jan 2018 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attach ment_data/file/678077/BEIS_Public_Attitudes_Tracker_- _Wave_24_Summary_Report.pdf
• Security risks are becoming intolerable. Despite Whitehall’s belief that military nuclear needs civil support; the security risk posed in the modern era simply by the existence of a civil nuclear programme are growing fast

. · It seems that Whitehall’s obsession with civil nuclear is in fact a military romance. So argue researchers at the Science Policy Research Unit. They find evidence of desperation to keep expertise for submarine reactors alive. Guardian 29th March 2018 http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2018/mar/29/why-is-ukgovernment-so-infatuated-nuclear-power

• In January 2016 Russian Security Services were accused by Kiev of getting hackers to shut down the Ukrainian power grid. Malware used had previously infected power supplies in the US and Europe, without shutting down the grid. This is a beginning. Hacker News 5th Jan 2016 https://thehackernews.com/2016/01/Ukraine-powersystem-hacked.html
• Cyberattacks have turned potential control of US power plants over to Russia according to the Department of Homeland Security. New York Times 15th March 2018https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/us/politics/russia-cyberattacks.html

And then there is global warming. If governments do not shut down residual nuclear programmes it seems climate change impacts will at some point – in the case of the many reactors on coasts and rivers – do the job for them.

• Nuclear regulators around the world have used out-of-date scientific understanding of sea level rise. Ensia: “A number of scientific papers published in 2018 suggest that climate change will impact coastal nuclear plants earlier and harder than industry government or regulatory bodies have expected.” Ensia 8th Aug 2018https://ensia.com/features/coastal-nuclear/

This summer’s heatwave forced 3 Nordic reactors to be curbed and 1 to close. EDF may close 4 reactors. Seawater off Sweden and Finland was too warm for reactor cooling. Reuters 1st Aug 2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nordics-nuclearpowerexplainer/in-hot-water-how-summer-heat-has-hit-nordic-nuclear-plantsidUSKBN1KM4ZR Reuters 1st Aug 2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-francenuclearpower-weather/frances-edf-may-halt-four-nuclear-reactors-due-to-heatwavestatement-idUSKBN1KM56C

• Renewables offset Fossil and Nuclear shortfalls in generation. Recharge News 16th Aug 2018 http://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1558064/renewables-compensate-forfossil-nuclear-shortfalls-in-heat-wave    http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NuClearNewsNo110.pdf

September 10, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

UK consumers could pay for new nuclear power plants years before they are built

Nuclear Finance  NuClear News     http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NuClearNewsNo110.pdf Sept 18  Consumers could pay for new nuclear power plants years before they are built. The government is considering using a controversial financing system to build new nuclear power stations which would see customers charged for construction costs long before a project has actually been built. The fact that Mark Corben – former chief financial officer at the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the Thames Tideway Tunnel – has moved to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to advise on development of a new finance model for funding new nuclear projects, confirms that the Government is seriously considering this method of finance. (1

The approach, called the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, has been described as an “open cheque book” for developers, as consumers could be locked into paying the costs of a project going wrong – like construction taking longer than planned, or prices spiralling – indefinitely until it’s complete.

Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead MP said: “The problem with this model as applied to new nuclear power stations is that it transfers all the risk of construction from the developer to the customers, with the rather wobbly promise of benefits to come in the future.” Like other publicprivate finance models, the RAB model has a sticky history. The government has already supported the use of RAB for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a £4.2bn project to revamp 15 miles of sewer lines in North London, which Thames Water says a RAB model has helped lower costs. As well as taking a RAB approach to financing the Thames Tideway, the government offered a “contingent financial support” package which guarantees public money when certain parts of the project go wrong. It’s this transfer of liability first to the consumer, and then also the taxpayer, which helps lower risk and attract investors. A similar package may be offered to nuclear developers.

In 2017, the cross-party British Infrastructure Group of MPs, chaired by Conservative exminister Grant Shapps, raised concerns that bill payers had been asked to write a “blank cheque” for the project. The National Audit Office (NAO) has also been critical of the Thames Tideway contract, as it still isn’t clear how much consumers will have to pay. The idea of a RAB approach has already proven popular with the nuclear industry. EDF boss Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson recently told the Financial Times that he is in talks with dozens of private investors over financing Sizewell C, the French giant’s post-Hinkley nuclear project in Suffolk – and that the RAB model could be pivotal.

Much of the work around taking a RAB approach to financing nuclear power has been carried out by Dieter Helm, professor of Energy Policy at the University of Oxford and a figure respected by government. Writing in a blog about the model’s application to nuclear last month, Helm highlighted a number of open issues – such as which regulator would set the RAB for nuclear projects, as well as the “very severe lobbying pressures” any regulator would come under when making its RAB evaluations. Helm concludes that the RAB may be an efficient approach to financing nuclear power, but still doesn’t address fundamental issues about its cost competitiveness with other technology like wind and solar, or what do with all its radioactive waste. “It is for society to decide whether it wants new nuclear or not,” he said. “The market cannot decide.” (2)

Finally the Government has, after I feared so long it would, chosen the doomsday option to fund new nuclear power stations – one that will be disastrous for the consumers and taxpayers, says Dave Toke, reader in Energy Policy at Aberdeen University. After years of swearing that they would not offer subsidies to nuclear power, and saying that in the future the terrible drain of (historical) over-spending on nuclear power would stop, the Government has gone back to square zero. Essentially, under the Government’s proposals nuclear developers will have no real limit on what they can spend to build the power stations. It is a recipe for national disaster. No private developer is willing to take the construction risks of funding nuclear power in the UK, whatever ‘strike price’ is offered for the electricity that might be generated in future.

For Hinkley Point C the French state will pay for the inevitable cost overruns that come along with building the plant, combined quite probably, with an out-of-contract bailout by the British Government when the going gets tough. But now the Government is casting around for another nuclear power plant to be built, – Wylfa or Sizewell C – but neither developer (Hitachi or EDF) wants to take the risk of paying the almost inevitable losses on the project. So enter the Government’s new proposals which will no doubt be promoted as a simple accountancy trick to lower costs. But it hides the fact that taxpayers will take the losses. Under the RAB arrangements electricity consumers will start paying extra on their bills from when construction starts, which could be anything from 7-10+ years ahead of any energy being generated. (3)

September 10, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment